The invention set forth in this specification pertains to new and improved operable walls. More specifically it pertains to operable wall structures in which panel sections may be mechanically manipulated into and out of a storage position.
As mechanical terms go the expression "operable wall" is a comparatively new term or expression. This term is now commonly utilized to designate vertically extending walls capable of being manipulated between "in use" and "storage" configurations or positions. These walls are normally composed of a series of wall sections or panels which are located so that the edges of these panels are immediately adjacent to one another so as to form a continuous or continuous appearing functional wall when the operable wall is in such an "in use" position. Most commonly, when the operable wall is in the "storage" position the panels are located in a stack so that the sides of the panels are immediately adjacent to one another.
In these operable walls the individual wall sections are normally supported by a track or track system located within a comparatively large structure on the ceiling or a similar part of the interior of a structure through the use of trolleys which engage the track system and which hold the wall panels or wall sections so that they hang vertically. In comparatively small operable wall structures it is commonplace for the individual wall sections to be secured together in a manner permitting pivotal or rotary motion between them along their side edges. Experience has determined that this is not particularly practical in connection with comparatively large operable walls. As a result of this, normally comparatively large wall sections are independently supported from the ceiling track or track system through the use of trolleys as indicated.
Most commonly, two different trolleys are used with each such wall section so as to avoid any problem of having to balance a wall section about a center support. Normally, the trolleys used in such structures are wheeled trolleys secured to the wall sections through the use of shafts so that the trolleys can be pivoted with respect to the wall sections. This permits the use of non-linear tracks to support the wall sections and may permit manipulation of them into a storage position.
In spite of the fact that there has been considerable development in the field of operable walls it is considered that operable walls using independently suspended wall sections as briefly indicated in the preceding discussion have not been as satisfactory as one would desire because of problems encountered in moving or manipulating these wall sections between "use" and "storage" positions as discussed in the preceding. The weight of comparatively large independently suspended wall sections makes it rather difficult to move them. This difficulty in moving them has particularly been encountered in manipulating comparatively large, heavy wall sections so that their trolleys go around curves or bends as they are moved into and out of storage positions as indicated in the preceding discussion. Further, when such wall sections are comparatively tall wall sections problems have been encountered as a result of the wall sections being pulled or turned out of a vertical position as efforts are made to move them with respect to other panels in order to form a stack in which the wall panels are in a face to face relationship.